title: Neonatal brain abnormalities and memory and learning outcomes at 7 years in children born very preterm.
abstract: Using prospective longitudinal data from 198 very preterm and 70 full term children, this study characterised the memory and learning abilities of very preterm children at 7 years of age in both verbal and visual domains. The relationship between the extent of brain abnormalities on neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and memory and learning outcomes at 7 years of age in very preterm children was also investigated. Neonatal MRI scans were qualitatively assessed for global, white-matter, cortical grey-matter, deep grey-matter, and cerebellar abnormalities. Very preterm children performed less well on measures of immediate memory, working memory, long-term memory, and learning compared with term-born controls. Neonatal brain abnormalities, and in particular deep grey-matter abnormality, were associated with poorer memory and learning performance at 7 years in very preterm children. Findings support the importance of cerebral neonatal pathology for predicting later memory and learning function.
authors.affiliation: a Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital , Parkville , VIC , Australia.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Omizzolo
authors.forename: Shannon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Scratch
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stargatt
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kidokoro
authors.forename: Deanne K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jeanie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neil
authors.forename: Terrie E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Inder
authors.forename: Lex W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000523:psychology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D057567:Memory, Long-Term; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014706:Verbal Learning